Ink's Second Chance - Carol Dawn Page 0,39

much of anything. Carlos reaches in and flips a switch causing a smaller chandelier to illuminate the room.

“See you in the morning, Mija,” Carlo’s smiles. “Tomorrow, you will become family.”

He shuts the door and I hear the lock click in place.

“I’m tired, Dove,” Roman says. “Time for bed.”

Panic rushes through my body.

“Remember,” he continues. “Killing me won’t do you any favors. My father would make your life painful if you did so. It’s not fun being used as a sex toy for anyone who pays.”

I let the tears finally fall. I’m so freaking scared.

Roman laughs.

“Yeah, she gets it,” he says to himself.

He lays me down on one side of the bed and covers me up before starting the fire and turning off the lights.

“Goodnight, Dove,” he says, laying down on the other side of the mattress.

The bed is so large that two more people could lay down between us and we would still have room to sleep comfortably.

No complaints from me.

It doesn’t take long for Roman to fall asleep. I don’t know how long I lay there watching the flames and listening to the man breathe, but I know that it was a very long time. When I know for a fact that he is asleep as deep as he could be, I quietly sit up.

Getting to the floor without making a sound is going to be hard. Especially considering how far up this bed is. Luckily, he’s so far away that he won’t feel any small movements I make.

Taking a chance, I dive hands first to the floor. With some maneuvering, I manage to get my whole body on the floor with next to no noise.

I’m brought back to the memory of my first visit with Roman where I had to do this exact same thing.

Fate’s funny.

I check to make sure Roman is still asleep before I scoot towards the fireplace. I’m exhausted and I need to desperately take a deep breath, but I fear that my panting will wake him.

So, I’m taking small shallow breaths. My chest is burning from lack of oxygen, my arms are weak from pulling the weight of my whole body and my heart feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest.

But I make it.

Not wanting to waste even a second of time, I reach for the controller and turn until the fire is completely out.

But not the gas.

I remember a blog I read online a couple of years back about a family who fell asleep safely tucked in their beds only to be found dead by a family member the next day.

A gas leak, it said. They all went peacefully in their sleep.

With the door shut, it shouldn’t take more than an hour for the gas to take effect in this room.

Roman dying in his bed while he sleeps isn’t how I’ve been envisioning his death. But I’ll take it.

I lay down in front of the fireplace and close my eyes. It doesn’t take long before I start to feel lightheaded. Just as I feel myself drift off an evil chuckle reverberates through my head.

“Nice try, Mija,” the chuckling man says. “That idiot son wasn’t able to see through to your plan, but it was as clear as day to me. Plans have changed. We will let my son sleep until death and you will join me in my room.”

I’m trying everything to stay awake, but I just can’t. I feel myself being lifted. I see myself screaming, biting, and hitting, but nothing more than a whimper escapes my lips.

Right before I succumb to darkness, I watch as Carlos locks Roman's door, leaving his own son to die.

Chapter Twenty-One

Ink

“What do you mean he’s fucking dead?”

We arrived with the Hernández estate in turmoil. It was surrounded by police cars and paramedics.

“There was a gas leak and everyone inside is dead,” Bear says. “According to one of the officers, there were seven people total.”

I stop breathing as I wait for him to continue.

“She’s not inside,” he says. “There were no females present at all. They found Hernández and the security staff.”

I collapse against my bike in both relief and fear.

“Then where the fuck is my woman?” I ask.

“Excuse me, can I ask you all a few questions?”

The last thing I want is to be stuck here for hours answering questions.

“I can handle this,” Bear says. “You all head back and I’ll meet you there.”

I straddle my bike and wait to hear what the officer has to say.

“You’re positive Roman Hernández is in that